“Not ther big pond,” Jim called back; “it’s tew late naow fur thet; but they’s a littler un ’baout half way. Thet’ll hev tew dew fur us, I guess.”
Cale seemed able to walk, after being thus supported, and they started off. One thing Thad noticed; and this gave him more or less satisfaction. They were heading now directly away from the fire, and not keeping alongside, as before.
This gave them a new chance to escape, unless that change of wind came, which was liable to occur at any moment.
Hardly had they been moving for a minute than Thad thought he felt something wet fall on his nose. He could hardly believe it, but when a second and a third followed, he became positive.
“It’s raining, Jim!” he shouted, partly because of his new excitement, and also on account of the racket the fire caused.
“Thet snow storm’s gut ’raound et larst,” called back Jim; and Thad knew from that the heat of the atmosphere had melted the flakes ere they fell, causing them to turn back into water.
It was all the same though, since both were bitter enemies to fire; and presently the merry war of the elements, that has gone on since the world began, would be in full play.
He wished that it would come down as never before; indeed, it would need to be a record fall, to extinguish those monster flames that were rising like a red wall over the treetops now. But since the woods beyond would be undergoing a gradual soaking, possibly the fire might find it more and more difficult to get a foothold, and finally die out from lack of fuel.
Thad was astonished at the meekness of the giant. Why, he seemed to have lost his grip on things, and let them carry him along just as though he were a big baby. That would seem to indicate he must have been severely hurt while escaping from the burning forest. For aught they knew he may have been struck on the head by a falling limb from a tree, which would account for his dazed condition.
At any rate, it was fortunate for the entire party that this proved to be so; because any delay at this stage of the game must have proven fatal.